Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Conversations: Tri-Faith Race and Religion Task Force Collaboration with the Omaha Spatial Justice Project

Featuring Dr. Jeanette Gabriel

Join Wendy Goldberg for this Open Conversation with Dr. Jeannette Gabriel as we discuss the Tri-Faith Race and Religion Task Force’s collaboration with the Omaha Spacial Justice Project. Together, our organizations will co-develop a project that examines how Douglas County’s racially restrictive covenants impacted migration patterns of different marginalized groups. 

The Tri-Faith Race and Religion Task Force works to:

• Collaborate to educate Tri-Faith clergy, board, congregants and community groups about the historical place of race and religion in the United States.
• Provide data surrounding racial disparities in Omaha and narratives from local faith communities.
• Equip congregational leaders with resources to navigate their role in racial justice.
• Collaborate with community leaders and organizations on programs related to race, religion, and justice.

The Omaha Spatial Justice Project will develop an interdisciplinary research group to examine the historic implications of redlining and restrictive covenants, as well as other projects addressing issues of spatial justice throughout Douglas County. Geographer Ed Soja defines spatial justice as “the fair and equitable distribution in space of socially valued resources and opportunities to use them” (2009). Resources and opportunities in the form of property ownership were denied to some Omaha residents through the use of racially restrictive covenants, contractual agreements prohibiting the purchase, lease, or occupation of property by a defined racial or ethnic group.

Tri-Faith Initiative events are recorded and archived on our YouTube Channel.